We see so many people in a day. Faces in public, at home, at work, in our social life. Why would a person attend an exhibit entitled Faces: Portraits from the Collection? More importantly, why would a person even create portraits? The big answer to both questions is that we are human.

As humans, we are compelled to create, explore, and interpret. Our expression is only limited by our imagination, materials, and technology. And people are the likely subjects of our creative attention. The portraits in Faces: Portraits from the Collection are wonderful examples of the many ways humans have interpreted humans.

Humans are inherently inquisitive. So, when viewing a portrait, we wonder. A portrait transforms the ordinary person into the extraordinary. And, the extraordinary becomes comprehensible. Here is a fellow human being with an expression, a gesture, or a mood that we can understand. What is the story? A portrait is a reassuring pause.